eanjay,

I have worked out that if I add some red lentils about 10 minutes before the end of cooking tomato soup, and then blend/liquidise it, it makes the soup thicker and it has a velvety texture. Sometimes I put a little bit of lemon juice and a small amount of lemon zest after frying the onions, especially if I am coming down with a cold or the flu. I often add some cubed pumpkin after I have fried the onions, too, for a slightly different flavour.

One of my favourite soups is bacon and cauliflower soup. Sounds ordinary, but it isn't. Ingredients are bacon - fried in olive oil, onions - fried, cauliflower - swished around in the oil for a few minutes to bring out the flavour, chicken stock and water, salt to taste. Blend/liquidise. Yum!

And pumpkin soup is super-Yum! Oz favourite! Onion, olive oil, a few cups of pumpkin or butternut pumpkin, chicken stock, water, salt. Blend it.

Helen